The Name Game
by gibbonsarenotmonkeys
Summary: After Shepard and Vega escape a life-threatening situation, they have a super serious discussion about their relationship. Post-destroy ending, fluffy oneshot featuring Shega.


They rounded the corner at a run, with Shepard slamming her back against the alley wall, already panting for breath. Normally, a run like this shouldn't even have winded her, but between the heavy metal frame of her leg brace and her wounds still healing, she was having trouble keeping up with the beefy marine beside her.

"I can't make it," she gasped out, closing her eyes as she tried to will the stitches in her side not to give out. "Go on without me."

"Ah, hell no Lola. I ain't going nowhere without you, not again." He hadn't noticed her falling behind, and darted back up the alley to where she had just about collapsed. There was something like regret in his voice, but Shepard didn't have time to analyse that right now, not when they had other things to worry about.

"Someone has to make it out of this, James. Tell my story," her voice was raspy and woe-begotten, and she was just sinking down to the dirty ground when she felt his arms wrap around her.

"You didn't survive the reaper war to die like this." He lifted her up over his shoulders like she didn't weigh a thing, ignoring her little shriek when she suddenly found her center of gravity all askew. He wasted no time in running again, just in time as the fastest of their pursuers seemed to have found their way around the corner, calling for the others with a high-pitched squeal.

"Die? Don't you think that's a little melodramatic?" She looked back at the crowd that had found them, holding onto James' arm for dear life and ignoring the uncomfortable way his shoulder dug into her side.

"We love you, Shepard!"

"Autographs, please?!"

"I just want a holo, Commander!"

Who knew saving the galaxy meant your fanbase upgraded from 'occasionally creepy but mostly harmless' to 'rabid varren willing to chase you down the street for an autograph'?

"I don't know Shepard, from the looks of it, that crowd would be willing to kill for your autograph." He joked light-heartedly, slowing as they reached the elevators to jam the button with his finger. "Come on, already." He glanced back at the encroaching horde, brow furrowing.

"This is so not dignified." Shepard tried not to see all the curious looks they were getting from random passers-by, people who probably weren't used to seeing a marine carry a comrade to safety over his shoulder. She grinned at one curious onlooker, waving like nothing was wrong as the elevator doors finally opened and James stepped inside gratefully.

He didn't relax until they were closed in the little box, the doors having slid shut before an over-eager Turian could slide in next to them. "Next time, you'll know better than to start signing things." He put her down gingerly.

"It was for a little kid! He was cute, with his little N7 hat..." She defended herself, she couldn't have known that signing one menu in crayon would mean it was open-season on everyone's favorite Spectre.

"You going baby-crazy on me?" He lifted an eyebrow, and Shepard rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm lightly. "Cause you know, you decide you want one of your own, I could help you out with that." He kept right on with his typical James Vega teasing, making Shepard smile.

"Better not make promises you can't keep, Vega." Looking up at him from under hooded eyes, she used that sultry voice that she knew made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. "Cause now I just keep thinking of babies with those pretty brown eyes..."

"My eyes, your confidence, that kid would be unstoppable." He grinned, putting his hands on her hips and pulling her close.

"She'd have the galaxy eating out of the palm of her hand by the time she was out of diapers." Shepard agreed, her voice soft as she leant up to press her lips under his ear.

"She? We having a girl?" James raised his eyebrow at her, and she giggled against his shoulder.

"We aren't having anything, James!" She teased, pulling back to look at him full on. "Even if my body weren't being held together by medical tape and biodegradable stitches, I am in no shape to be a mom. I can't even handle my fanbase, let alone a baby." She smacked him on the shoulder lightly.

"Now who's making promises she can't keep, aye?" He teased, his voice light as they stepped out of the elevator and onto the presidium, heading for an empty skycar.

"Seriously, though, I need a way to keep these crowds off my ass. I can't get swarmed by fans and the media everytime I step foot on the Citadel."

"Gonna be tough, Lola. You've got one fine ass." He finished his sentence with a quick grope of that ass, making Shepard roll her eyes and push his hand away as they climbed into the car, James taking the driver's seat and Shepard lifting the hem of her shirt to check her bandages. Fortunately, none of her stitches had torn, although she was going to need some more medigel when they reached her apartment. She could only be glad that no one seemed to have found that yet, but she supposed it was only a matter of time. When they reached the parking lot near her building, she let James help her out of the car, swinging her heavy metal leg brace onto the pavement with a slight wince. She couldn't wait until physiotherapy was over with.

"Maybe I should change my name." She suggested, and James shrugged. "I wouldn't get nearly as much attention if I were, say... Commander Smith." Her eyes lit up, walking backwards as they made their way up the stairs to her apartment.

"Smith's too obvious, you need something with some flavor. How 'bout... Rodriguez?" He suggested, although from his tone of voice, it was clear he wasn't taking her seriously. "Could change your first name too. Lola Rodriguez, make it official." He snickered, and she rolled her eyes, punching in the code to the front door.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Shepard smiled, and he just winked at her in return. With a relieved sigh, she flopped down on the couch, glad to put her leg up. "Hmm... flavor, huh? What if I went with Vega instead?" Her voice was still light-hearted as she called out to him, but her breath slowed nearly to a stop, muscles tense as she waited for his response.

James paused in his tracks for a second, before his eyes flashed down at her from the end of the couch. "You wanna go by my name?" She didn't answer, looking up to meet his pretty brown eyes and tilting her head to the side curiously. He stood frozen, looking down at her with a dumb-founded expression on his face. "You proposing, Lola?"

She pressed her lips together. "Well I can't just keep waiting for you to get around to it." She huffed after a minute, glancing away. James stared at her for a moment more, before he turned on his heel and stormed back into the bedroom.

Shepard sat up, brow furrowed as she waited for some kind of answer. A pang shot through her, wondering if he was packing his things. He could at least answer her before he made a break for it; it wasn't like she could exactly hurt him right now.

But after a moment, he returned, holding something in his hand. Shepard leaned back again, watching him suspiciously. "You gonna answer, or-"

He dropped the 'something' in her lap, and it turned out to be a velvet ring box. "Y'know, patience is a virtue, Lola."

She couldn't help the smile that tugged up the corners of her lips, lookig up from the box to where he was making himself comfortable by her feet, lifting her legs into his lap. Slowly, she opened the box, dazzled by the sight of a diamond ring.

"Is this an-"

"Engagement ring? Why yes, yes it is."

"And it's for me?" She smiled, and he couldn't help but grin back. "So I guess that settles the name thing."

"I guess so, Commander Vega." He teased, leaning down to brush a light kiss against her lips.


End file.
